Teams grapple with starting QB decisions

Wednesday

If a decision has been made on who will start at quarterback for Penn State in its opening game, Bill O’Brien isn’t saying.

If a decision has been made on who will start at quarterback for Penn State in its opening game, Bill O’Brien isn’t saying.

“The first Penn State offensive series the starting quarterback is going to go out and both guys need to be ready to play,” the second-year coach said Tuesday. “That’s as much as you’re going to get out of me today on this subject.”

West Virginia’s Dana Holgorsen is taking a similar approach. Same goes for Lane Kiffin at USC and a few other coaches.

A couple days before the college football season begins, some coaches have decided it’s best not to decide on a starting quarterback — at least not publicly.

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has said he’ll use two signal callers against Mississippi State after the preseason competition between Clint Chelf and J.W. Walsh ended in a draw. Both look like good options. Each played extensively last season, passed for more than 1,500 yards and completed more than 60 percent of his passes. Gundy won’t say who’ll take the first snap.

Not every coach is so fortunate.

Here are six teams planning to unveil their starting quarterback during Game 1.

1) Penn State. O’Brien is choosing between two players who have never thrown a college pass. Sophomore Tyler Ferguson has had a full season of junior college experience and spring ball, but highly touted freshman Christian Hackenberg showed up in August and the race has been neck-and-neck since.

2) Syracuse. Speaking of the Orange, they also have an OR listed on the depth chart at quarterback. Oklahoma transfer Drew Allen or sophomore Terrell Hunt will start against Penn State at MetLife Stadium, home of the Giants and Jets.

3) West Virginia. Holgorsen, trying to replace Geno Smith, has narrowed it down to Florida State transfer Clint Trickett and fellow junior Paul Millard. Millard backed up Smith last season but threw only 19 passes.

4) Southern California. Sophomore Max Wittek filled in for Matt Barkley when he was injured at the end of last season. The circumstances were difficult, but Wittek didn’t do much to distinguish himself. He and fellow sophomore Cody Kessler have been battling to be No. 1.

6) Cincinnati. With his unforgettable name and easy-to-spot dreadlocks, Munchie Legaux became a college folk hero the past two seasons. His play, though, was spotty, opening the door for Brendon Kay to take the job at the end of last season. Kay’s sore shoulder has re-opened the competition.

Coach Tommy Tuberville now says he expects both to play when the Bearcats open against Purdue.

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EXTRA POINTS: TCU coach Gary Patterson has declined to close the competition between Casey Pachall and Trevone Boykin, who became the starter last year when Pachall was admitted into a substance-abuse program. It will be fairly surprising if Pachall, an NFL prospect and maybe the best quarterback in the Big 12, isn’t starting when No. 20 TCU faces No. 12 LSU on Saturday night. … New North Carolina State Dave Doeren has yet to decide between Brandon Mitchell, a dual-threat transfer from Arkansas, and pocket-passer Pete Thomas. … Texas Tech coach Kliff Kingsbury is probably down to starting a freshman against SMU because of an injury to presumptive No. 1 Michael Brewer. We’ll find out which one Friday night.

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